Actually, the day was a sort of a treat by Parcells for his Miami Dolphins coach, Tony Sparano, who grew up in West Haven in the middle of Yankee-Red Sox territory but somehow wound up a devout Mets fan. The football offseason is about at the halfway point, and as director of football operations for the Dolphins, Parcells has already spent more than $100 million on "grocery shopping" as he likes to put it, picking up free agent center Jake Grove in the produce section and retaining his own linebacker Channing Crowder, offensive tackle Vernon Carey and strong safety Yeremiah Bell in the canned goods department. There is, however, still the matter of the draft before Parcells gets to the checkout counter.

Advertisement

But that's for another day, a month from now. Monday, was a baseball day for the football guys, Parcells, Sparano and former Green Bay PackersGM Ron Wolf, who arrived at Tradition Field shortly before 10 and were greeted by Mets publicist Jay Horwitz, armed with Mets paraphernalia, including windbreakers and caps for Sparano and his two sons. Horwitz, as usual, had done his homework, handing Sparano a Mets jersey with his name and the No. 17 on the back. When asked why 17, Horwitz said proudly: "That's the number he wore when he was in high school."

"That's right," said Sparano. a graduate of Richard C. Lee HS. "I was a shortstop and a pitcher."

Since the Mets were hitting on a back field and none of their big names, David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado et al is in camp, the group migrated into the stadium to watch the visiting Baltimore Orioles going through their stretching. "How long do your guys stretch?" Parcells asked Orioles manager Dave Trembley. "A half hour?"

"Yeah," said Trembley, "how did you know that?"

"I know," said Parcells. "Ask Tony here how long our guys stretch."

Trembley looked at Sparano.

"Seven-and-a-half minutes," said Sparano.

"What about the trainer's room?" Trembley asked.

"They're encouraged not to go in there," said Sparano.

The football guys had their point - baseball players are not regarded as tough - and you got the feeling Trembley didn't disagree with them. But Parcells, who was a pretty fair catcher at River Dell High School in Oradell and was forced by his father to turn down a $100,000 bonus from the Philadelphia Phillies back in 1959, has always held a fascination for baseball, especially its strategies and inner workings.

"The other day in Jupiter," he said to Trembley, "(Florida Marlins manager) Fredi Gonzalez was telling me about the rule you guys have for outfielders about never leaving their feet in the ninth inning in a one-run game."

"Ball gets by you, it takes away the double play," Trembley replied.

"Yeah," said Parcells, "another week of watching these games and I'll have it all down."

At the conclusion of the Orioles' batting practice, the football trio were escorted up to Mets owner Jeff Wilpon's private box, whereupon Horwitz asked Sparano if he wouldn't mind throwing out the first ball.

Advertisement

"Make sure you aim high," said Jeff Wilpon.

"I don't know," Parcells said to his coach, "we're gonna have some political ramifications here - you proclaiming yourself to be a Mets fan when we're a Miami team in Marlin territory."

"We already have," said Sparano. "Fredi saw that Met cap I have on my desk (at the Dolphins complex) and he got really (peeved). I told him it's a lifelong thing."

It turned out Sparano's ceremonial pitch bounced in the dirt in front of Mets catcher Ramon Castro - "I told him to aim high!" Wilpon said - but the coach was beaming when he got back up to the box as Horwitz had now provided him with a St. Lucie Mets cap.

"What the heck is that?" asked Wolf.

"Their Florida State League team," Sparano said. "One of these days I want to get up here and see them too."

Moments later, the game began, but Brandon Knight, who was starting in place of Mike Pelfrey (sore leg), was clearly not ready for it to start. The first five Orioles hitters all hit the ball hard - a double by Ryan Freel, a lineout to right by Adam Jones, another double by Luis Montanez, a two-run homer by Ty Wigginton and a single by Oscar Salazar. And with each succeeding hit, Jeff Wilpon winced.

Looking over at Sparano, he said almost apologetically: "You can see all our minor leaguers working out on that back field beyond the center field fence. I hope we don't have to go over there and get a pitcher."

Advertisement

Thankfully, Knight was able to pitch out of the inning without any further carnage and while two of his successors, Duaner Sanchez and Casey Fossum, didn't exactly distinguish themselves either, the Mets rallied back from an 8-4 deficit to tie the game on Nick Evans' grand slam in the eighth and win it in the ninth on a homer by Rene Rivera, a non-roster minor league free agent who will likely be a backup catcher at Triple-A.

Too bad the football guys had already taken their leave. But for Sparano's next trip up here, Horwitz has promised a Rene Rivera autographed ball.